Roof and wall construction



May 12, 1970 c. R. GREMS ET 3,511,008

ROOF AND WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 14, 1968 33 INVENTORS COLIS RQBERT GREMS JOHN DOUGLAS GREMS United States Patent 3,511,008 ROOF AND WALL CONSTRUCTION Colis Robert Grems, 7417 Anderson Road NW., and John Douglas Grems, 10803 Highway 99, both of Vancouver, Wash. 98660 Filed Nov. 14, 1968, Ser. No. 775,637 Int. Cl. E04d 1/22, 1/34 US. Cl. 52309 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A composite panel comprising a layer of soft and flexible thermal and acoustical insulation such as polyurethane foam laminated to the back of a strip of rigid material such as plywood. The panel is equipped with spring clips along its lower edge to engage the upper edge of an underlying panel, the clips providing gauges to insure uniform width of overlap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in roof and wall construction for buildings.

Conventional building materials used in roof and wall construction have many disadvantages. Shingles, shakes and boards are subject to warping, cracking and splitting and are very time consuming and expensive to install. Composition shingles, roofing tile and slate are both expensive to purchase and expensive to install. Metal covering materials are subject to unsightly bending and denting and are significantly lacking in insulation qualities.

Objects of the invention are therefore to provide an improved roof and wall construction, to provide a construction material which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and inexpensive to apply to the building, to provide a building material which may be installed quickly and easily and to provide a roof and wall covering that affords good thermal and acoustical insulation and fire resistance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present construction comprises a rigid load bearing panel, preferably of plywood, having a layer of insulation such as polyurethane foam laminated to the back side thereof. The lower edge of each panel overlaps the upper edge of an underlying panel and is equipped with spring clips to secure the lower edge of the overlying panel to the upper edge of the underlying panel. The upper edge portions of each panel are nailed to the supporting studs or rafters, the nails being covered by the lower edge of the next overlying panel.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing. Various changes may be made, however, in the details of construction and arrangement of parts and certain features may be used without others. All such modifications are included in the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a building having a roof and wall embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, with parts broken away, of a portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, showing one of the composite panels; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the spring clips.

3,511,008 Patented May 12, 1970 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a building construction having wall studs 10, plates 11 and rafters 12. The wall and roof are covered with composite panels 15 as shown in FIG. 3.

Each panel 15 comprises a plywood sheet 16 having a layer of soft and flexible insulation 17 on its back or under side. The insulation 17 is coextensive with the playwood sheet 16 at its upper edge 18 and end edges 19 but is spaced from lower edge 20 to leave an uncovered area 21 on the back or under side of the sheet. In the present embodiment the panel 15 is made as a long, narrow strip but its proportions may vary as desired.

Metal or plastic spring clips 25 are affixed to the sheet 16 at intervals by nails 26. Each clip has a flat base portion 27 provided with nail holes 28. At one end of base portion 27 there is a right angle offset 29 having a length equal to the thickness of the sheet 17. The projecting end portion 30 is approximately parallel with base portion 27 and preferably terminates in a sharp point 31 which is bent downward at a slight angle. The lower edge of the insulation layer on each sheet terminates at the offset portion 29 of the clips as shown in FIG. 3. The clips may be affixed to sheets 16 on the production line in manufacture or in the field during construction.

In applying the panels, the lower edge portion 21 is lapped over the upper edge portion of the next lower panel with the end portions 30 of the clips engaged thereunder, as shown in FIG. 2. The points 31 pierce the insulation and the end portion 30 forms a spring clamp to secure the overlying panel to the underlying panel. Offset portions 29 form gauges to control the distance of overlap. The overlying panel is merely slipped down on the underlying panel until offset portions 29 contact the upper edge of the underlying panel. This allows the panels to be laid up quickly and accurately without measuring and marking to obtain uniform overlap along the length of each panel.

Then the upper edge portion of each panel is secured to the studs or rafters by nails 35. The insulation squeezes down against the stud or rafter to a minimum thickness at the upper edge of the panel as shown at 36 in FIG. 2. Between the studs and rafters the insulation maintains its normal thickness and configuration as indicated at 37. The nails are covered by the overlapping surface 21 of the next panel, preventing the nails from working up and preventing leakage around the nails heads.

Each panel 15 may extend the full length of the wall or roof or, if not of sufficient length, two panels may be butted together end to end on a stud or rafter. In such joints the end surface of the insulation on one panel abuts the end surface of the insulation on the adjoining panel to seal the joint. The ends of sheets 16 may be tongued and grooved, if desired, or a thin strip of a polyurethane foam applied to the ends. However, this is ordinarily not nec essary as the flexible foam backing is compressed and elongated over the rafter, purlin or stud to which the adjoining panel ends are secured, forming an effective waterproofing seal at such end joints. The insulating material may be dyed, pigmented or painted to provide an acceptable finished appearance.

By placing the lower edge of the insulation at the offsets 29 of the clips, this edge surface of the insulation abuts the upper edge of each preceding panel installed, thus automatically forming a water-tight seal along the horizontal overlaps as indicated at 40. The panels may be made in any desired width or thickness and we prefer that the panels have square longitudinal edges so as to provide for maximum contact and depth of seal at the juncture 40 of the insulating maaterial with the preceding course of panels.

We prefer to employ plywood for the sheets 16 as plywood has acceptable stiffness and weight to strength ratios, it being readily available, and can be made in continuous lengths up to hundreds of feet long. Using plywood as thin as one-fourth inch, at a nominal cost, with a fifty percent overlap in shingle fashion, the load bearing strength is equal or superior to a single ply of the much more expensive one-half inch plywood. No other covering is necessary but, if desired, the plywood may be painted or overlaid with a metal foil, plastic or elastomeric coatings to provide an attractive appearance and long term resistance to weather.

The insulation material 17 may be preformed or cut to the proper size and shape and applied to the panels with adhesive, staples or other fasteners but it is preferably foamed in place, the plastic adhering itself to the wood surface. Preferably, the insulation is polyurethane foam material having a low density and low compressive strength, which will compress to negligible thickness in areas where the panels are nailed to studs or rafters. Polyurethane foams can be mechanically mixed and poured or sprayed on the panels at a rapid rate, instantly foaming and setting up quickly with good adhesion to the panel surface.

Although polyurethane foam is preferred for the insulation 17, various other materials may be used if desired. Polyurethane foam has the advantage of being flexible and very light in weight. It provides very good thermal as well as acoustical insulation. It has a K factor of .12 to .15 as compared with a K factor of about .24 to .28 for conventional wood fiber or cane fiber insulation boards, rock wool, polystyrene foam and the like. Its softness and flexibility allows it to compress to conform to various shapes and to flatten down as described over rafters, purlins or wall studs. It is readily foamed in situ on the sheets 16 with the foam density preferably in the range from one pound to two pounds per cubic foot.

Having now described our invention and in what manner the same may be used, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A roof or wall panel comprising an elongated rigid sheet, a layer of soft and flexible insulation secured to one side of said sheet, said insulation being flush with one longitudinal edge of said sheet and spaced from the opposite longitudinal edge of the sheet, clips mounted on said one side of said sheet, said clips having offset portions perpendicular to said sheet at the same distance from said opposite edge as said insulation, piercing ends on said offset portions extending parallel to said sheet and directed toward said opposite edge, said piercing ends penetrating the insulation of a second identical panel and engaging under the rigid sheet thereof when said opposite edge is overlapped on said one edge of said second panel, said offset portions forming stops for controlling said overlap and positioning said first panel parallel with said second panel, said insulation on said first panel abutting and forming a seal against said one edge of said second panel.

2. A panel as defined in claim 1, said sheet being plywood.

3. A panel as defined in claim 1, said insulation comprising a foamed plastic.

4. A panel as defined in claim 3, said plastic being foamed in situ on said sheet.

5. A panel as defined in claim 3, said insulation comprising polyurethane foam.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 291,440 1/1884 Warren 52-546 X 3,111,787 11/1963 Chamberlain 52-540 X 3,237,360 3/1966 Mills 52548 X 3,287,871 11/1966 Korn 52-548 X 3,362,119 1/1968 Murphy 52309 PRICE C. FAW, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

